John coffin



(No Model.)

J. GOFFIN.

raocass 0F TOIUGHENING AXLES. No. 391,120. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.-

"HI t I WM "w 1% mm NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN COFFIN, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CAMBRTA IRON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF TOUGHENING AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,120, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed Mai-ch15. 1888. Serial No. 266,016. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern: rapidly rotates the axle, and while in this p- Be it known that 1, JOHN OoFFIN, of Johnssition submerged and revolving under water town, in the county of Oambria and State of to spray upon its surface a series of forcible Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and jets of cooling-liquid, that agitates the water,

5 useful Improvementsin Processes of Toughenand thus prevent the spheroidal formation ing Steel Axles or other Steel Bars; and I do which would retard heat dissipation, and, hereby declare the following to bea full,clear, finally, when the axle has received a surface and exact description of the invention, such chill of sufficient depth that leaves a highly as will enable others skilled in the art to which heated core therein,itis removed from thebath 10 it appertains to make and use the same. and left to get entirely cold by contact with My invention relates to an improvement in the air in a dry place. processes for toughening steel axles or other Different mechanical devices may be embars of steel. ployed to put in practice my improved process In the manufacture of steel axles that have or method for toughening steel axles, as it is 15 been hammered or otherwise manipulated to evident that numerous plans of construction give them form it has been found of great admay be provided to give the axle a rotative vantage to reheat the axle after it has been motion after it has been submerged in coolingcompleted as a forging, then partially cool it liquid in the bosh; and it is also apparent that in a bath of water or other proper cooling the axle may be lowered by different methods 20 mixture, and, after it has received a surface into the liquid in the bosh and upon its cradle chill of proper depth, to remove it from the or rotating devicesas, for instance, the rebath and allow it to gradually cool in an unheated axle may be gripped by tongs and lowexposed situation by a free contact of the atered manually; or it may be hung in grippingmosphere. \Vhen an axle is treated as above hooks from a swinging crane, by which it may 25 mentioned,there is a rearrangement of molecbe swung into position and then lowered nlar structure throughout its body, which rethrough the water onto the rotary cradle,and, moves crystallization, toughens the material, finally, by a preferred means, which consists S0 and renders the axle less liable to breakage in transporting the reheated axle from the when it is exposed to sudden strains of a perplace where it is heated to the stationary bosh 3o cussive or torsional nature. and roll it down inclined trackways onto the My present improved method of toughening revolving apparatus. This latter plan ofconsteel axles or other bars of steel consists, esstruction will now be described. 8 5

sentially, in the reheating of the article to be In the drawings, Figure 1 represents aplan treated, so as to give it an even distribution of view of the stationary bosh and contained ap- 5 heat throughout its mass, then lowering it on paratus, a portion being removed between mechanism located in a bosh or stationary wabroken lines near its center of length that it tor-trough that has been previously filled or is not important to show. Fig.2 is an end partially filled with water or other coolingelevation of the device, taken on theline X X, liquid, and then rotating the axle within this Fig. 1.

4o. Water-tank while it is submerged by the action A represents astationary water-chamber or of the contained apparatus on which it is bosh, which is placed upon a suitable foundaplaced. After the axle has been sufficiently tion, to which it is secured by bolts that pass chilled it is removed and allowed to cool off through the perforated ears a. The walls of by diffusion of the contained heat from the the bosh A are of such a height as to allow a 45 core to the surface and its radiation, owing to considerable volume of cooling-liquid, prefercontact with the atmosphere. ably cold water, to be contained therein or up My present method of toughening steel axles to the overfloworifice h. (See Fig. 2.) Upon roo further consists in the reheating of the axle one side of the bosh the wall is projected outafter it has been forged or otherwise manuwardly and upwardly to form an overhanging 5o factured, then lowering it by proper means lip or shoulder-extension, which is of the full into a bosh or water-trough containing water length of the bosh and has an inclined hotor other cooling-liquid, to place it upon a tom, as shown in Fig. 2, this sloping bottom mechanism located within the bosh, that descending diagonally inward from a point, i,

near the upper edge of the outer wall, 2', to a point, k, where itjoins the vertical wall A of the rectangular chamber or bosh A, said wall A being about one-half the height of the opposite side wall,'A

Within the bosh A, aproperdistance above its bottom surface, the two mating shafts B O are supported parallel to each other by an engagement of their ends within the perforated bosses b c, which are made to project from the sides of two fiat plates, J, that are secured to the inner surfaces of the end walls, A, of the bosh by bolts d.

The shaft Bhas rounded journals on itsends to adapt it to revolve on its supporting-bosses b, that may be constructed-as boxes to receive each end of said shaft. The parallel shaft 0 is held rigidly in its end supports by pinning or keying it fast to them, a proper distance intervening between these shafts to allow the location thereon of partsthat will now be described.

Upon the shaft B, preferably near the boss or box I; at one end of the bosh, a sprocketwheel, D, is mounted and firmly fastened to said shaft, this wheel being engaged by an endless sprocket-chain, I, which latter extends upwardly a sufficient distance to be placed upon a mating sprocket-wheel (not shown) that is adjusted upon a driving shaft which is adapted to revolve by applied power under control of an operator, and thus permit the rapid revolution of the shaft B in a proper direction when desired.

At proper distances apart on the shaft B several hubs,e, are rigidly secured. These have acentral radial rib, e, projecting from their central portion to adapt them to have contact with an axle or other round bar.

Upon the shaft 0, at points directly opposite the radial projections 6', formed on the hubs e, short revoluble wheelsf, of the same diameter as the ribs 6, are held in place by fixed collars g, to permit the wheels to revolve freely when actuated by frictional contact of their peripheral surfaces with a revolving axle placed on them.

Beneath the shafts B O, and midway between them, the spraypipe K is placed. This extends throughout the length of the bosh A and projects water-tight through one of the end walls, A, to be extended outside of the bosh and be connected to any adequate watersupply that will afford a volume of water with proper pressure to forcibly project the water in sprays from the upper surface of the pipe K, which is perforated on its upper surface, one or more rows of spaced holes being formed thereon, as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon the inclined bottom of the lip G of the bosh A two or more guideways or upwardlyproject-ing track bars, H, are formed or adjusted. These are intended to permit an axle to roll from their outer ends downward to as sume a position between the wheels f of the shaft 0 and the fixed hubs e, or rather the projecting ribs 6 of these hubs; and it should be stated that these wheels and ribs are not in contact, but in close proximity to each other.

The height of the guideways H and degree of inclination given to them are such in relation to the position of the shafts B C and their wheels and hubs that the top edges of the guideways at their inner ends will be about in the same horizontal plane with the upper peripheral edges of the wheels f, so that an axle will roll down the ways and upon the cradle formed by the adjacent wheels f and hubs e.

In operation of the devices the bosh A is filled to the lower edge of the overflow-hole h,

or near the upper edge of the vertical walls.

of said chamber. The shaft B is made to rotate by the sprocket-wheel and chain-gear in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. This will revolve the axle S in the same direction of motion it obtains by rolling down the inclined ways H, so that its momentum thus derived will have effect to aid the operation of the revolving hubs or shaft B, which will quickly increase the rotary motion of the axle until its speed is equal to that of the driving-hubs e. Simultaneously with the immersion of the axle in the bosh, as has been described, the spray-pipe K is put in use, and jets from it are forcibly projected from its perforations upon the revolving axle, which will aid the operation of cooling it rapidly, as has been previously mentioned. At aproper stage of cooling the axle S is removed from the'bath and located in a place that will allow it to be in contact with the atmosphere and protect it from dampness or contact with wet ground on one side, which would have a tendency to warp it and prevent regularity of cooling that is effected by an even diffusion of contained heat that passes through the chilled portion of the axle from the core to the surface of the same.

Having fully described my preferred form of construction of machinery to carry into effect my improved process for toughening steel axles or other round steel bars, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The within-described method of cooling a steel axle or other steel bar'to toughen it, consisting in lowering it in a bath of coolingliquid, then connecting it with rotating devices that rapidly revolve it while being cooled.

ICC

2. The method of cooling an axle or other steel bar to toughen it, consisting in immersing it in a cooling-bath by rolling it down an incline, and then connecting it' with a revolving mechanism which which will maintain its rotation while cooling. r

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN COFFI'N. Witnesses: x

SIDNEY POSTLETHWAITE, CYRUS ELDER. 

